Is responsible Artificial Intelligence possible?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that seeks to create systems capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence, such as learning and decision making. Although it already plays a crucial role in sectors such as transportation, healthcare, agrotech and finance, its growth brings with it several risks and ethical challenges. In addition to the significant impact on employment, where according to a World Economic Forum study, 85 million jobs could be displaced by automation by 2025, there are concerns about data privacy, security and algorithmic bias, which can amplify existing social inequalities.

Some of the challenges and ethical considerations that need to be addressed by governors, international organizations, technology companies, the academic community, researchers, users and consumers, and civil society in general are:

• Transparency: the ability to understand and explain how and why an AI system makes certain decisions is crucial for adoption and trust.
• Privacy: the collection and use of large amounts of personal data raises concerns about data protection and privacy.
• Bias and fairness: AI systems may perpetuate or even amplify existing biases if not properly designed and trained.
• Employment impact: AI-driven automation may transform industries and displace workers, creating the need for retraining and adaptation strategies.
• Disinformation and manipulation of public opinion: generative AI is capable of creating convincing fake news on a large scale. In addition, it can generate fake videos and audios that are difficult to distinguish from the real thing.
• Intellectual property: a legal framework is needed to address issues such as authorship and rights of AI-generated creations.
• Use for malicious activities: AI systems can be exploited for activities such as cyber-attacks or fraud.
• Autonomy and control: some highly advanced AI systems could act in unexpected or unintended ways, posing significant risks about the loss of human control.

These risks highlight the importance of developing and implementing AI in an ethical and responsible manner, ensuring that its benefits are maximized while mitigating its potential dangers. It is crucial that policies and regulations accompany technological development to address these challenges effectively.

Artificial Intelligence Strategies and Policies

In order to address some of the above challenges, various strategies and policies have already begun to be implemented:

• Development of regulations and ethical policies: many countries and companies are already developing AI-specific regulations. For example, last March, the European Parliament passed the Artificial Intelligence Act in order to ensure safety and respect for fundamental rights. In addition, organizations such as the UN and IEEE are working on establishing international standards for the safe and responsible use of AI.
• Privacy Protection: data protection laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, are designed to protect the privacy of individuals and ensure that their data is handled ethically.
• Industry initiatives: include “AI for Good” to prepare personnel for the jobs of the future and “Partnership on AI“, which brings together various stakeholders to address ethical challenges while promoting responsible practices.
• Scientific research on AI safety: In recent years, due to the growing interest in safety in AI technology, R&D research on this important topic has increased – albeit modestly and still insufficiently -. One of the first scientific forums to meet regularly to address this issue is WAISE, which this year celebrates its seventh edition. This is a scientific workshop dedicated to presenting and sharing the latest research on safety engineering of AI-based systems, including ethically aligned design, responsible deployment, or standards and norms to ensure their reliability.

Is responsible AI possible?

The concept of “responsible AI” implies that AI systems are designed and used in ways that are safe, ethical, transparent and fair. While the possibility of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) entails significant challenges and ongoing commitment, it is an achievable goal. Some of the strategies to begin implementing to achieve this end include:

• Education and Training: AI ethics should be included as a fundamental part of developer and data scientist training, in addition to working towards increasing public awareness of how AI systems work and their potential impacts.
• Multi-sector Collaboration: achieving responsible AI requires fostering collaboration between governments, companies, academic institutions and civil society organizations to develop and maintain responsible AI standards, as well as creating communities of practice where practitioners can share best practices and advances in responsible AI.
• Continuous Research and Development: the development of tools to help detect and mitigate biases in AI systems, and further research into methods to improve transparency of AI algorithms will undoubtedly guide the way towards the goal of responsible AI.

Therefore, the task of achieving responsible AI does not fall to a single group, but is a shared task that requires the collaboration of multiple actors that only through a coordinated and transversal effort can ensure that AI is developed and used in a way that maximizes its benefits and minimizes its risks to society.

Artificial Intelligence at ARQUIMEA

From ARQUIMEA, as a technological company that operates at a global level, we make use of Artificial Intelligence to offer solutions to highly demanding sectors such as Biotechnology with assisted reproduction systems or the discovery of new drugs or Aerospace with highly reliable satellite components or military with security systems for autonomous vehicles.

In addition, ARQUIMEA Research Center, the research center of the ARQUIMEA group located in the Canary Islands, has an orbital dedicated to research in the field of Artificial Intelligence where it develops projects of AI-assisted drug discovery, AI safety engineering for autonomous driving systems, safe autonomy, or accelerated 3D modelling through deep neural networks for the generation of 3D elements, with applications not only for the audiovisual sector but also for other more diverse sectors such as decoration and interior design.

Moreover, all the projects of ARQUIMEA Research Center belong to the QCIRCLE project, co-financed by the European Union, which aims at the creation of a center of scientific excellence in Spain.

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”